Orland High boys basketball team tops CV, advances to section final

ORLAND — The night and the playoff game ended up belonging to Jud Sailsbery, but like any great point guard, he wanted to dish out one more assist.

"It was a real team effort. Everyone contributed," said Sailsbery, who finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and six assists — if you don't count that one — as he set the Orland High school boys basketball team's scoring record for a season and career in what could be his final home game, leading the Trojans to a 70-52 victory over Central Valley on Wednesday night.

Last year, the Trojans, as the No. 1 seed, fell in the semifinals to Gridley, 63-59. But Orland wasn't to be denied the final again a game away.

"This team is different. We have a different mindset. Even when they got to within four, we never felt like we weren't going to win," said Sailsbery, whose 604 points this season and 1,737 career points both eclipsed the totals of Myron Erickson, who graduated in 1962 and set them in his senior season with 596 points that left him with a career mark of 1,729.

Kavi Ram had 13 points, all in the first half, as he set the tone in the first quarter with his athletic ability. Ram had 11 points in the period, including an alley-oop layup from Sailsbery, a tip-in on an offensive rebound, and his steal and assist set up an Eneas Rosales basket. All that from Ram led to a 9-2 Orland advantage with 5:31 left in the first quarter.

"We wanted to come out and prove we belong there," Ram said of the Trojans' destination of Chico State and the section final.

Rosales finished with 11 points, and Micah Fleming had nine. Ram had six assists and three steals.

Orland (24-4) was on the verge of a romp, leading 22-9 after one quarter, but the Falcons (16-12) slowly got back into the game.

After Central Valley climbed within four points twice late in the third quarter despite trailing by as much as 15 earlier in the game, Sailsbery answered with a 3-pointer a second before the buzzer, giving the Trojans a bit more cushion at 49-42 to go into the fourth quarter.

"That was a killer," said Central Valley's Kody Conner, who led the Falcons with 19 points, including 10 in the third quarter as they rallied.

Tony Penta had 17 points, and Raycial Lovett added eight for CV.

"They're a real scrappy team, I'm glad we don't have to play them twice," Orland coach Jason Bragg said.

If that 3 wasn't enough, though, then Sailsbery made sure on the opening possession of the fourth quarter, draining another, his fourth of the game, pushing Orland's lead to 52-42.

"When you have a player to come out and do that for you, it's just very special," Bragg said.

Sailsbery had 16 of his points after halftime. His shooting touch became contagious as Rosales and Jordan Long hit back-to-back 3s, starting a 12-4 run to close out the semifinal and allow the Trojans to put in their reserves, holding a 69-48 lead with about 1:30 left in the game.

Now, Orland, which fell in the section finals in 2010 and '11, gets another chance at a section championship.

"It's my third trip there," Sailsbery, a four-year varsity player, said. "I want to see if I can get a 'W.'"